This month, that is. I’ve never
experienced the things I’ve been experiencing these last couple weeks. I’m
leading a group of 6 people in a missions trip around the world. Two years ago,
I would have said you were crazy if you told me I was going on a missions trip. I am experiencing the hottest weather
I’ve ever experienced in my life. God is sure teaching me a lot about
perseverance this month in the midst of my never-ending outbreaks of sweat. I’m
also learning that I need to stop saying that it’s so hot because it gets me in
downer moods (but hey, I’m a work in progress). I’m experiencing this thing The
WR calls “community”. Though, in my mind it’s more than community. Community
makes me think of a 1950’s neighborhood where everyone sits on the front porch
and watches the kids play in the street. I’d even say it’s more than a family.
Lord knows I adore my family, but I sure don’t spend 24/7 with them. I can’t quite give a name to the team that I
live with, but I know that the proximity to which we live is forcing me to be
real, vulnerable, and happy-go-lucky with them. I’m learning how to love these
people. And it’s a love that I’ve never experienced before and it is quite
literally a supernatural love that is poured into me by my loving Abba. Maybe
the term to describe it is the Body of Christ. I’m experiencing what Scriptures
says, “pray without ceasing.” I honestly think this new prayer walk I have is
starting to annoy my teammates. They ask me how we can keep our belongings
safe-I say pray over it. They ask if the water is safe-I say if you pray over
it, it will be. They tell me that they are weak and tired-I tell them to pray
through it. I say prayers for more things than I ever have in my life combined
I’m pretty sure. Last night was the fourth consecutive night I prayed-no
begged-God would protect me from the fire ants that find their way to me every
night and that He would not let them bite me. The number of bites is decreasing,
praise God. I have watched a couple movies and when the characters are
presented with problems, I think to myself, “oh, I would totally start praying,
if I were them!” A movie? Really? Yes. Really.
Those of you reading this, I dare you to try it. Pray for everything.
The Bible says that when we ask for things in the name of Jesus, we will
receive them (except for ponies on your birthday). Especially things concerning
our protection and the wisdom of God, why wouldn’t He give us those things?! He
loves us, duh. Another thing I’ve experienced is my prayer for the healing of
my blind brother being translated into Khmer (or any language for that matter).
And when the blindness that has crippled the eyes of my brother Timothy didn’t
fall to the ground and he opened his eyes and was still blind, I still knew
that God would heal Timothy. I had this sense of hope that my prayer was one of
many that would bring about the healing of Timothy, but that God would heal
Timothy in His time, not mine. And the healing of Timothy is going to directly
affect the healing of our future brothers and sisters in Christ simply because
they witnessed Timothy’s healing. A month or two ago, I’d be livid with God
that He didn’t answer my prayer. Well, who am I kidding? Honestly, I don’t know
that I would have had the courage and faith to pray for healing two months ago…
I’m experiencing what being a servant looks like. Instead of
leaving situations that are hard, I’m learning to stick around and hash it out,
as opposed to hiding behind a book, a movie, or sleep. Now, it might seem that
I would be kinda obligated to hash things out with teammates or ministry
contacts because I’m a leader. But God has specifically been convicting me of
being a servant simply because my Lord and Savior came to serve, not to be
served. God told me that if I want to be on this quest to become more like
Christ I actually had to learn to do
things like Christ did. So I’ve gone to bed later, or missed my alone time, or
taken longer on a chapter in my book in order to learn how to serve. I start
praying again and ask for His strength and endurance, and man does He come
through. If I was left to myself this month, it’d be what I like to call a
“mell of a hess”. Concerning this, I’m listening to “Where You Go I Go” by Kim
Walker right now, and I need to share the lyrics…
“Jesus only did what He saw You do.
He would only say what He heard You speak. He would only move when He felt You
lead, following Your heart, following Your Spirit. How could I expect to walk
without You? When every move that Jesus made was in surrender? I will not begin
to live without You, for You alone are worthy and You are always good!”
So, God is rebuilding this temple in such an amazing way. I
get to experience brand new things in and through the One who is, was, and is
to come. The One that is the same today, yesterday and forever.
“Where You go I go. What You say I
say, God. What you pray I pray. And though the world sees and soon forgets, we
will not forget who You are and what You’ve done for us.”
